Union Minister and Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader Vijay Goel on Thursday, 2 May, said that 14 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs want to leave the party as it has steered away from its objectives.
Goel was replying to the allegations levelled by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who had said on 1 May that the BJP was trying to buy AAP MLAs, offering them Rs 10 crore each.
Refuting the allegations, Goel said, "14 AAP MLAs want to leave the party because the party has gone astray from its objectives but the BJP does not need to buy these MLAs. Allegations of the BJP offering Rs 10 crores are false."
"In the past three days, seven of our MLAs have told us that BJP has approached them and has offered Rs 10 crore each to buy them. They want to break our MLAs, this doesn't suit Prime Minister Modi," Kejriwal had alleged.
‘Leaders Feel Stifled in AAP’: Goel
Further, citing the exit of leaders from AAP in the past, Goel said, "Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, Shazia Ilmi and many others left the party saying they are feeling stifled in the party. The party which had come to fight corruption started resorting to corrupt practices."
Earlier, AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had alleged that seven of his party MLAs in the national capital have been offered Rs 10 crore each to join the saffron party. Then BJP had rubbished the claim terming it "bizarre allegation" and a "desperate bid to gain attention."
All seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi are going to polls in a single phase on 12 May. The counting of the votes will take place on 23 May.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
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